Godly amounts of olive oil, the whiff of spices, the goodness of fresh fruits and vegetables- the Mediterranean cuisine truly deserves the popularity it has. The flavours are very indulging accompanied by highly appealing visuals of the dishes. From falafels to Baba Ganoush to fresh salads, our love for the majestic cuisine knows no bounds. Among the array of wholewheat bread we offer, our Focaccia is the reflection of our fondness. We used to put olives and spices to make it taste like a slice of Mediterranean. And recently, we’ve dressed up our baby even fancier for the party! Our Focaccia has received an upgrade to make you feel as if you’re in an enchanting Mediterranean garden. It even looks like a garden on the plate with all the vibrant colours.
Then v/s Now
Earlier, our Focaccia used to be embellished with green olives- the infamous symbol of health and wellness. It did feel nourishing inside out. But to enrich it further, we took it many notches high in all aspects, be it taste or appearance.
With the bright and lively colours from the cherry tomatoes and green capsicum, this loaf made of wholewheat looks like a small garden of pretty poppies. Now you know how to make your dinner table look fancy and exotic, right?
It’s not just the visuals that have been revamped, the flavours have been elevated too. We now add olives, sun dried tomatoes, and dried herbs like oregano and thyme to make it taste like a slice of pure deliciousness. The flavours are now what we describe as ‘very Mediterranean’.
With the wholewheat flour, the one thing that has remained constant, this newly dressed up loaf is soft and tasty. It can easily be the star of any dinner party or you can use it to make a ‘deluxe sandwich’ with less effort.
History of Focaccia
Focaccia is a flat oven-baked bread that originated in Italy. Because of its similarity to pizza in style and texture, it is also called ‘Pizza Bianca and is even served as a side dish on its own. What differentiates this ‘pizza bread’ from other loaves is that it is always seasoned with olive oil and salt. Additional spices are also added and there are numerous variations to it.
Has Focaccia always been a wholewheat bread?
One of the main characteristics of good focaccia, other than the seasoning, is the use of strong flour. Strong flour is what we call a variety with high gluten content to make the resulting loaf more filling and satisfying. Bread flour is often used for this which is a high-protein flour with 11-13% of protein.
Now, the bread flour comes in multiple variants including the wholewheat one. Since bread dough needs gluten and wholewheat flour is anyway abundant in it, the wholewheat variant of the bread flour is the best choice. But some people do use all-purpose flour for their focaccia. It results in a somewhat chewy texture although it is the best option for baking at home.
Best ways to serve Focaccia
With many variations like rosemary & sea salt, with tomatoes and other veggies, good focaccia, or any other wholewheat bread for that matter, make a meal on its own. But you surely can make the experience more wholesome by serving focaccia in some of the following manners.
- Use it as a base for a sandwich with simple filling made of any leftovers.
- Slice the focaccia in half, butter the inner side and toast lightly to make quick and tasty breadsticks.
- Have a slice of Focaccia with some cream cheese for an easy snack.
- Fried egg too tastes amazing with rosemary focaccia.
- The sweet versions make an easy yet delicious dessert and these are good for breakfast as well to add a sweet note to your day.
- Toast lightly in an oven to make the best croutons.
- Focaccia is the best way to make your salad taste better and look more inviting.
